Sniper Elite 3: Hunt The Grey Wolf DLC Review

Originally being released to only those that pre-ordered the game, this piece of DLC has recently become available to all. Consisting of an entirely new level, and the quest to kill Hitler, surely this is a great reason to jump back into the world of Sniper Elite?

Unfortunately, this isn’t the case, with the absurd price of £6.49 being a real problem here. It’s really hard to justify the price tag when the mission itself only lasts about 20 minutes. The last time I checked, 20 minutes of any gameplay (whether it be the best of all time) is never worth that much. It’s insulting that the developers would charge so much for such little content, especially when the quality of this DLC is questionable to begin with.

Attempting to continue the trend of Sniper Elite 3’s expansive sandbox levels, Hunt The Grey Wolf ultimately fails to be anything particularly interesting. When placed next to the levels found within the main game, this piece of DLC pales in comparison. While the level still offers multiple paths, and accommodates different play styles, the freedom here feels stripped back. Aside from the very beginning – areas feel narrow, the ability to explore the whole level right from the beginning is gone, there’s no real landmarks or events to exploit, and to make matters worse, there is a linear progression throughout, with each small area of the level only being opened up once certain objectives are completed. This piece of DLC appears to defy the very conventions that made the core game so much fun. Rebelling against the design of the core game provides an almost on-rails experience for this level, and boy is it unremarkable. Very basic objectives such as collecting pieces of intel scattered across the area, and observing an NPC don’t help the matter either, with neither being particularly interesting or creative. They also fail to offer much of a challenge, with enemy placement being few and far between, and there never being a real sense of danger, with turrets, vehicles, and heavy troops being nowhere to be seen.

The only saving grace of this entire download is getting to assassinate Hitler at the end of it in as grizzly of a fashion as you wish, but not even the idea of shooting Hitler’s face off is as appealing as you might first think. It’s also not as great of a payoff as you might be led to believe either, with part of its entertainment factor being lost thanks to the dull and unremarkable gameplay that came before it. Once you’ve reloaded the checkpoint a good few times and shot Hitler in the head, eye, mouth, heart, intestines, and testicle, there’s literally nothing else fresh or fun to experience here. Though the level promises to randomize elements of the objectives so that “no two playthroughs will be the same”, this does little to breathe new life into it all, with the mundane gameplay still being a persisting issue regardless of where the objectives are placed.

Verdict

‘Hunt The Grey Wolf’ is almost impossible to recommend to anyone, even big fans of Sniper Elite 3. The incredibly steep price tag simply does not reflect on the amount of content you get here, making it not worthy of your hard-earned pennies. The game was a pre-order bonus, and it feels like it too, offering dry gameplay and a small throwaway experience that you will forget about instantly. If the DLC was released for free, or at a small cost of £1, I wouldn’t be complaining as much. But regardless of its pricing, the gameplay remains boring and uninspired.

Positives:

You get to shoot Hitler in the face

…and in the heart

…and in the lungs

…and in the testicle.

Negatives:

Dull objectives.

Areas feel lacking in freedom.

Linear progression throughout.

Uninteresting level design.

It costs a very steep £6.49.

It only takes 20-30 minutes to complete.

Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.

Recently graduating from Staffordshire University with a First-Class Honours in Computer Game Design, I’m a 21 year-old with a passion for game design, writing, and eating cheesecake. I think of myself as being very critical of games and the industry, and I certainly have no issue with speaking my mind and saying things how they are. Essentially, I’m rather cynical – but I try to be funny about it at least. When not spending my time playing video games and writing about them, you’ll find me listening to music, singing loudly, knocking back shots of Sambuca, and dabbling in game development – but fortunately, not all at the same time!
P.S. Grim Fandango is my favourite game of all time.